[Pil-pc-oceania] A new year of opportunity

[pacific-edge]

May I wish all on PIL-oceania the best for the new year?

This is always a good time for reflection and looking back over the past 12
months I recall discussions that truly questioned Permaculture's place in
the world and on the value and form of Permaculture education. Some of these
were online discussions and some were in person, however I don't know if
those latter were topics more widely discussed. Just what makes up the
Permaculture conversation among afficianados in the regions remains largely
a mystery.

Those topics were serious ones and, as such, can only benefit our
understanding of the design system and how it plays a role in societies.
They are more than simple navel gazing because they are the type of topic
that can lead to constructive change where and if it is needed. One of the
ongoing topics was about how Permaculture could develop a strategy to
promote its ideas, now that the ACF and other organisations are implementing
community-based training in sustainable living (in this city at least).

Certainly, a highlight of the Permaculture year was the interstate tour of
David Holmgren and  Richard Heinberg to promote their ideas on dealing with
a peak oil future. In Sydney, the talks attracted a large number of people.
They promoted David as a public figure in Permaculture, in my opinion a
fitting and necessary role for him to now assume.

Little was heard publicly of  Bill Mollison and, I assume I can say, we all
wish Bill well and remind him of the constructive influence he has been on
us - in my case, for the past 16 and more years.

Another public Permaculture figure during the year was Geoff Lawton, who
took the Permaculture message to people through his presentations on his own
work.

So, what of next year? That's determined by the circumstances existing where
people do their Permaculture work. In tthe cities, though, I feel it's time
to go out and take the messages to the people in the suburbs - Australia's
heartlands. We need more spokespeople than David and Geoff to do this,
however, so maybe a practical new year resolution would be for those
interested to hone their public speaking and presentation skills and, that
done, to seek the means to put them to use. Sydneysiders should not forget
entities like the Facilitator's Network as a means of learning to do this.

Another route to this destination is that taken by Steve Poole in Adelaide,
who offers Permaculture and organic gardening short courses through the
local adult education institute. On Sydney's lower northern beaches, Rob
Allsop, who illustrated Rosemary Morrow's latest Permaculture book,  is
about to embark on a similar journey.

There's other potential avenues for Permaculture to make its ideas more
widely known. One I have talked off and on about with Rosemary Morrow is
that of 'resilient communities'. What a surprise to discover someone in the
UK already acting on this in the town of Totnes. Our question is how do we
engage the popular imagination in the same way here.

Enough pontificating. Let's continue the discussion on this, our new
listserver, and let's think about how the design system can provide useful
answers to the challenges of the times.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
RUSS GRAYSON
journalism, online content production, photojournalism, instructional
manuals, media services for overseas aid

PO Box 1045, Manly, NSW 1655 AUSTRALIA
info at pacific-edge.info
P: 0414 065 203
www.pacific-edge.info

TerraCircle international development team, Oceania
www.terracircle.org.au

Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
www.communitygarden.org.au
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